Should I Show My Email Address and Phone Number on My Website?

TL;DR

• Show your phone number. Make it easy to find and tappable on phones.
• Use a contact form instead of a plain email address where you can. Email addresses typed on a page can be collected by spam bots.
• Work from home or by appointment only? Leave your street address off your site.
• Whatever you show, keep it the same on every page and on Google.

Should I Show My Email Address and Phone Number on My Website?

Show your phone number. For email, a contact form is usually the better choice. Here’s how Webmaster For Hire looks at each one:

• Phone number: yes. Put it in your header or footer so it’s on every page.
• Email address: use a form when you can. An email address typed on a page can be collected by spam bots (programs that scan websites for addresses). A form gets you the same message without showing the address.
• Street address: only if customers come to you. If they don’t, leave it off.

Should I Hide My Address If I Work From Home?

Yes. If customers don’t visit you, your street address doesn’t need to be public. Beth does the same for her own business: “I will hide my address online because I’m ‘by appointment only.'”

Removing it means finding every copy, including the footer, contact page, and any map.

Google works the same way. If you don’t meet customers at your address, Google lets you choose not to show it on your Business Profile.

How Do I Make My Phone Number Easier to Find?

1. Put it in your header, near the top of every page.
2. Make it tappable on phones. Select the number in the editor, click the link button, and type tel: followed by the number with no spaces. Visitors on phones can then call with one tap.
3. Repeat it on your contact page, next to your form.
4. Check it on a phone after any change.

Your header details usually live in your theme’s settings. See How Do I Update My Contact Details or Add a Location on My Website?

Can Staff Contact Details Stay Hidden Until Someone Clicks?

We’ll scope it and send you a quote first. When one client asked about it, Beth checked exactly what they wanted before quoting it: “Are you looking to hide staff contact information on the site until a visitor clicks to reveal it?”

Rather Have Us Set It Up?

Tell us what you want shown and what you want hidden. We’ll update your header, footer, contact page, and forms on your Webmaster Retainer.

What Webmaster For Hire Recommends

• Phone number in the header, tappable on phones.
• A contact form instead of a plain email address.
• No street address if customers don’t come to you.
• The same details everywhere, including Google.

:: Common Questions ::

Will a Contact Form Stop All Spam?

No. Forms can still get spam, so most use a spam filter or a check that the sender is a real person. What a form does stop is your email address sitting on the page for bots to collect.

Can I Hide My Phone Number on Google?

Yes. Google lets you turn off your phone number in your Business Profile’s advanced settings.

Want Your Contact Details Set Up Right?

See our Webmaster Retainer, or request a consultation.